In the Shadows
by Anna Lefay
Summary: One night together in her 7th year, a confession and a promise not to let go, but one wants to run away to protect the other.
1. Default Chapter

In the shadows By Lynsey Wills  
  
I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARECTERS OK?!?  
  
I can feel his eyes on me, following as I pass through the great halls entrance to my house table.  
  
He thinks I can't see him, standing in the shadows, his dark robes hiding him further.  
  
But I can.  
  
No matter how hard I fight the feeling, I can.  
  
"Hermione, Are you going to eat? Or are you going to wait until later in Hogsmeade?" Her famous friend asked, while forcing his fourth pancake pasted his lips, silently challenging their red head friend to beat that.  
  
The brunette rolled her eyes, knowing full well that he would accept and sat back, watching them silently, refusing to admit that she found the rivalry even remotely amusing.  
  
"I can't come remember? I have to finish my Arithmacy project, its due in."  
  
"Three weeks!" Ron finished for her, spraying small pieces of batter, much to Harrys amusement and Hermiones disgust.  
  
"Even so, I want it out of the way, then I can focus on revision for the N.E.W.Ts, you should try doing the same!" she chuckled at the horrified looks on their faces at such a thought.  
  
"Have fun, I'll see you later" she promised, leaving the table, having not even touched any of the food in front of her.  
  
And she felt his eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Two hours later the head girl could be found in the library belonging to her school, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, bent over a rather large and complicated book that many people avoided at all costs due to its complexity and intelligence, but Hermione enjoyed the challenge and read with relish, while curled on a large windowsill in her favourite pair of blue jeans and silvery shirt.  
  
Notes were strewn about the sill, with spare and old quills littering the area.  
  
Earlier a few first years had stumbled in earlier looking for Madam Pince and soon left when they found her in a very bad mood and unforgiving temperament when it came to an overdue book.  
  
The Library had been deserted from that moment on, the way she liked it, no interruption and no noise, just her and her thoughts.  
  
But the shadows were present, and soon so was he.  
  
Sighing, she continued to scribble widely on the paper, wishing that she wasn't writing the last paragraph, thus ending her project and her distraction from memories she was trying so hard not to dwell on.  
  
Now she would have to find something else to do, she refused to leave, she didn't want him following her anywhere else, and why should she? Everyone was entitled to stay where they wanted (unless of course that area was out of bounds) but the library sure as hell wasn't.  
  
So grabbing her bag and carefully storing her work inside she pulled out a chicken sandwich and apple, deciding that her stomach deserved nourishment, and soon found herself staring out of the window doing what she dreaded, thinking about that night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It had happened three months ago.  
  
Harry and Ron were out looking for a new adventure under the invisibility cloak, while she kept up her nightly and responsible patrol of the corridors, making sure that no student was out after curfew causing trouble. Excluding her friends of course.  
  
"I'll meet you in the common room when I get back" she had promised when leaving, pushing her wand into a long, thin pocket she had made on her skirt, pulling her robes tighter around her small body, feeling the autumn chill through the large, stone corridors.  
  
Almost an hour later she had been nearing the dungeons and heard a crash coming from within the classroom, pulling out her wand and cautiously walking towards the door she could hear more crashes, it sounded like bottles being thrown against the walls or the floor, perhaps a shelf had broken? Her logical mind had pondered before gently pushing the door open.  
  
What she found was highly surprising.  
  
Her potions master, kneeling on the floor with smashed glass around the room, and potions dripping from the walls.  
  
".Why do I have to love her?" he kept muttering to himself, tears burning his eyes.  
  
Tiptoeing into the room she carefully sat beside him, wondering if he had even noticed her presence.  
  
"Professor?" she whispered, touching his shoulder lightly.  
  
"..You're a dream, from my drunken stupor" he replied, not even looking at her.  
  
"I can assure you professor, I am most certainly not"  
  
Looking out from the corner of his eye he studied her face for a moment, before deciding that maybe she was real.  
  
"What are you doing here Miss Granger?" he asked coldly, continuing to look at the dripping wall with mirth.  
  
"I heard the smashing and came to make sure that everything.was alright"  
  
"Well, as you can see, everything is just fine, goodnight." he leant forward so he could use his hands to stand, only to wince in pain, an expression Hermione did not miss.  
  
"Professor, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed, pulling him up into a standing position, feeling him sway unsteadily.  
  
"So I am," he acknowledged, not really giving a damn.  
  
"I'll take you to Madam P.."  
  
"You most certainly will not, I am not having the entire staff knowing about this." he winced again, blood dripping on the floor.  
  
"Well, at least let me clean it out then" she asked, helping him walk towards his rooms, muttering a spell as they were leaving to clean the classroom so the students were known the wiser when classes arrived tomorrow morning.  
  
It surprised Hermione how airy his rooms actually were, dark wood was everywhere, on the chairs, the picture frames, while the room itself was a light green. Setting him down in an armchair she went to where she believed to be the bathroom, only to find herself in a very large bedroom, with dark green paint and wood, Hermione couldn't help but notice how sensual the whole thing looked, but shook herself from having those thoughts, she most certainly didn't think of him in that way.  
  
Across the room was another door, opening it she found another large room, with a bath tub and sink etc, raiding the medicine cabinet she found some bandages and cleansing lotion for the deep cut across his palm.  
  
Muttering to herself about needing to look up stitching charms she quickly left the bathroom to find her professor, and stopped dead when she found him sitting on the bed, waiting for her.  
  
Not speaking, she ripped a piece of the bandage and poured a decent amount of lotion onto it, knowing cream like substance would absorb the escaping blood and clean the wound. Hermione noticed him wince again as she started to wrap the bandage around his right palm, but she couldn't afford to be gentle, the wound may reopen and become infected, and she sure as hell wasn't going to risk getting enough detention until her great-grandchildren attended Hogwarts.  
  
By now the alcohol was probably wearing off, at least that was the impression she was getting from his now sharp eyes, which were watching her movements like a hawk, Smiling when she finished.  
  
"I'll be right back" she promised, fleeing the room to put the rest of the lotion away, wishing it were possible to apparate on the grounds. Pulling on a fake smile she went back to him, wishing him well.  
  
"Goodnight" she muttered, but something was wrong.  
  
The dark shadow that was his body seemed to be staring deeply into space, worrying the 18 year old.  
  
"Professor?" she touched his arm lightly, hoping to arouse him from his state.  
  
"I shouldn't love you," he whispered hoarsely, sending fear through Hermione's body in a think wave.  
  
"What?" her breath escaped her and soon found her hand in both of his own, and he didn't make to say anything more, instead he kissed the palm of her hand, sending shivers up and down her spine.  
  
Thinking this was a good sign he stood, and Hermione herself being 5ft 7 was easily dwarfed by his 6ft frame. Watching her face intently he leaned down, stopping just before his lips met hers, and whispered again.  
  
"I love you" and then captured her lips in a searing kiss, shaking Hermione to the core, especially when she found herself enjoying it, all of it, his kiss, his arms as they linked behind her waist, pulling her close to him, everything.  
  
Was this love? Her mind asked, quickly running over the events of the night, did she love him? No, but she was finding it damn hard not to though. Admittedly she had a 'thing' for him, his mind, his unusual looks which she liked and his odd humour, which now she thought about it, she had been seeing a lot of lately.  
  
He had been changing in front of her all this time as she hadn't even noticed, he hadn't taken so many points off Gryffindor, or called her and insufferable know it all, as much either.  
  
The kiss was progressing, she felt his hands wander her body gently, wanting to hold every part of her, memorising this moment in case it never happened again. And soon she was doing the same.  
  
Hermione couldn't believe the feelings she had getting for her Profe..  
  
"No" she pulled back, her mind mentally slapping her heart for letting it get this far.  
  
"Why?" he sighed, still holding her close, refusing to let her escape his arms just yet. "You're my teacher, I'm a student, and we could both get into so much."  
  
"Albus and Minerva were also in this predicament, and you know what he's like, he probably knew how I felt before I did." he chuckled lightly, resting his chin on the crown of her head.  
  
" Still, I have exams soon, and you wouldn't want any slytherin's to find out and report you to."  
  
"I don't care Hermione, I have nothing in my life, but you, even the way our relationship was before I still went through it for you." She felt her eyes well up slightly at his admission; she never thought that she would ever see this side to him.  
  
" We can't, I don't want to lead you on by thinking that I feel for you what you feel for me" Even if I may, she thought to herself, wishing she could spare him the pain of rejection. They couldn't be together, he would be in danger.  
  
"I'm not expecting you to feel that, at least not yet"  
  
" I have to go" She tried to pull away, but her body seemed to reject that idea and didn't move.  
  
"Stay" he whispered into her ear, one hand moving to cup her cheek, stroking it gently.  
  
In that moment, she knew, what she had been denying for 2 years, she cared about her professor more than most, and in a more intimate way, and without words she let him lead her to the bed where he showed her just how much he loved her and wanted to love her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Still staring out the window in the far corner of the library Hermione thought deeply about that night and the man who shared it with her, it was definitely not and yet definitely was how she imagined the experience to be. Severus as he hade made her call him, had shown her the love that everyone dreamed of, yet the next morning she realised it had only been a one night thing, a gift to him, to show him that there was love in the world still, even for him, and that was what he was fighting for. And she refused to let him sacrifice all the good he was doing by being with her, if someone like Malfoy found out he would tell the dark lord and Severus would be killed.  
  
So the next morning she had woken early, with his arms firmly wrapped around her waist possessively, a smile plastered on his face. Gingerly getting out from the embrace she dressed quickly, and left, and since then she had never allowed herself to be alone around him, although she could see the pain she had caused by leaving in his eyes every time he looked at her.  
  
"Is the window really that interesting Miss Granger?" a dark, silken voice asked, making Hermiones ears ring from the sudden sound after so long a silence.  
  
Continuing to ignore his presence she stared at the falling snow, wishing for once that she had put off her studies and gone with he friends, although she guessed that had she done so he would have found some way to corner her there as well, she guessed that he had been planning on catching her like this for while.  
  
"Hermione," he warned her about trying his patience, causing her to laugh lightly.  
  
"Your patience? I didn't know patient men stalked young girls"  
  
"You are hardly a girl anymore now are you?" and evil glint appeared in his eyes as he finally managed to gain her attention from that blasted window.  
  
"How dare you?!?" She accused, wanting to shriek and claw his eyes out, but knowing that making such a scene would cause Madam Pince to investigate.  
  
"How dare I? Whom left who after what happened?" he snapped back, stepping closer so she pressed herself against the window further, his body blocking her from the view of an visitors.  
  
" It shouldn't have happened"  
  
"But it did"  
  
"It won't happen again" she promised, seeing the flash of disappointment in his eyes.  
  
"It will if I have anything to say about it," he threatened, grasping her smaller hand into his own.  
  
"Well you don't, you need to get over it" she pulled her hand from his own, reaching for her bag on the floor, but was stopped when his hand found its way under her chin and guided her face back to his.  
  
"Never" he said, kissing her soundly before pulling away, his billowing robes following him out the door.  
  
To Be Continued!  
  
Sorry! Promise to update soon though! And please no flames! I'm just not up to them at the mo.  
  
And for those who thought that the threat 'Not if I have anything to say about it' was referring to him forcing himself on her then your very wrong! I would never think about writing that, and having their relationship go down that path, I don't think I would do it well!  
  
Anyhoo.  
  
Thank you for reading! 


	2. 2 a threat

Disclaimer: do not own these characters!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It had taken her almost an hour to gain control of her legs after that kiss; the intensity of it had sent her body into shock, causing her mind to forget almost instantly why she was not meant to be doing this.  
  
"Dammit" she cursed, wishing there were some way out of this.  
  
"Really Granger, swearing in such a manner, not very becoming for the head girl now is it?" the most irritating voice Hermione had ever encountered spoke.  
  
"Oh Bog off Malfoy, it's not a swear .." She suddenly stopped, realising that the head boy was with her, had he seen?  
  
"What's wrong? The book you wanted not here? Honestly, its hardly the end of the world" well, that answered her question, at least something was going right today.  
  
"What do you want ferret?" she asked indifferently, grabbing her bag and making her way past the blonde boy.  
  
"I just thought you would like to know, that if you share another embrace with your lover, he'll die"  
  
Stopping she practically pounced on the boy, sending them both to the floor, with Hermione on top, her wand pointed at his angelic face the threat evident.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" she hissed, pushing the wand hard into his cheek, ignoring his wince.  
  
"I'm talking about you and your dear love, my father was not pleased when he flooed his dear old friend after a certain.meeting, to find him in the arms of a filthy mudblood"  
  
Hermione's hand connecting with his face could be heard through the large room.  
  
"What have you done?"  
  
"I haven't done anything, but should you and he declare anything.romantic, or go at it like rabbits, he will die, very slowly, and I guess, painfully." He laughed at her pained expression before pushing her smaller body off his own.  
  
"Why?" she asked, angry at this new turn in her life, not only had she promised not to make anything of it with the man she cared about because she feared his safety, but now if she did slip up like before it would cost them his life.  
  
This means she would have to watch the shadows more carefully, lest he be lirking behind one.  
  
Shouldn't be too hard should it? After all, it was a drafty castle lit only by candles, which of course made shadows more powerful and prominent.  
  
Not hard at all. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hope this was ok; I'm really not sure where to take this! So if you have any ideas that you would like to see happen in this story I am open to them! I just hope it didn't suck like I think it did! No flames, so there! 


End file.
